Game apparatus



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C. N. HOYT.

GAME APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. .18

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C. N.. HOYT. GAMB APPARATUS.

No. 441,099. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

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NITED STATES CHARLES N. HOYT, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,099, dated November 18, 1890.

Application tiled August 22,1890. Serial No. 362,716. (No model.)

To all whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. HOYT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Game Apparatuses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of game apparatuses comprising small lenticular or chanifered disks of bone or the like adapted to be shot, snapped, or projected by a larger piece or disk of similar material, lthe objectbeing to place the smaller pieces or counters on a spot or goal at a proper distance from the player.

My invention will be hereinafter fully described, and its novel features carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective view designed to illustrate the mode of snapping the smaller pieces or counters through the instrumentality of an elastic pad and a players piece or snapper. Fig. 2 shows the snapper of circular form in plan and edge elevation, and Fig. 2 shows another form of the same. Fig. 3 shows one of the smaller pieces or counters also in plan and edge elevation. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the players pad. Figs. 5, 6, 6, Gb, and 7 illustrate diiferent forms of boards and goals that may be used in lieu of that seen in Fig. l.

.ct represents the players elastic or springy pad, of which there willbe one for each player in the game.

t) is the players piece or snapper, and c is the counter, of which there' will be usually not less than six for each player; but the number of these used is not material to my invention.

d in Fig. l is the board or sheet on which a goal is marked. This sheet is to be spread on the table used by the players.

The pads a may be of any shape desired. I prefer to make them rectangular and of the proper dimer sions to fit snugly in the boX that contains the several pieces comprising the apparatus. They will each be composed of some moderately elastic or springy soft material, and I prefer to construct said pads by placing one or two thicknesses of felt between two pieces of annel and stitching, hemming,`

or binding them together around the margin; but other soft fabrics may be substituted for the flannel covering and other materials may be substituted for the felt-as a thin sheet of soft vulcanized rubber, for example. Indeed, rubber alone will serve for a pad, but its cost forbids its use where the game apparatus is to be sold at a low iigure.

The snapper o will be made of bone or ivory,

Yby preference, and will be rounded and chamfered at the edge. I prefer to make it circular or disk like, as this form may be conveniently turned and polished in alat-he. It may have other forms, however, one of which is represented in Fig. 2n. It should be large enough to allow it to be conveniently grasped and used.

The counters c will also be of bone or ivory by preference, and they may have the same circular form as the snapper, but will be much smaller in diameter.

It is convenient to have in each apparatus, say, four snappers b, of different colors, and as many sets of counters c, each set colored to correspond with one of the snappers, and there should be an equal number of the counters in each set. There will in sucha case be four padsa, and these may also be colored to correspond with the respective snappers b.

The sheet or board d, (seen in Fig. 1,) which may be of any material,but preferably of cloth orpaper, adapted to be folded, will have marked or printed on it concentric lines e, forming circles, squares, polygons, &c., and dividing it up into a central goal g and zones of bands 7i..

The manner of snapping the counterc is as follows: The pad a is laid on a table or other firm support and a counter c is placed on the pad. A snapper Z9 is then taken between the thumb and finger and its edge placed on the counter, preferably at that slde of said counter Y that is nearest the players hand. The snapper is now pressed down rather forcibly upon the counter, so as to compress the pad under the latter, and then withdrawn .backward quickly off the counter, the pressure and withdrawal being nearly simultaneous. The instant the counter is freed the pad by its elasticity throws the counter upward and for ward. The skill of the player will in a great IOO ' all having the same end in view-namely, the

lodging of the counters on the goal g. I prefer, however, to adhere to the following rules in playing t-he game. The players take their places at the table, the sheet d being placed or spread thereon so that the goal g will be about the same distance from the several players. Apad ais placed before each player, who has also a snapper b and a set of counters c. The rst player snaps his counters one by one at the goal g, endeavoring to lodge them thereon, and while they lie on or about the sheet d he scores what 11e has made. The goal and zones have certain values, which I prefer to indicate by printing on them the proper numerals, as 5 2 1. (Seen in Fig. 1.) All the counters c that lodge in the goal g count 5, for example, and those lodging on the zones count as many as are indicated by the numbers marked on them, respectively. The vlirst player, after noting how many he has made, picks up his counters andthe second player plays. Each player has ten turns or plays, and the one scoring the highest number wins the game.

The counters c will preferably be about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, the snapper b about one and one-eighth of an inch in diameter, and the goal g about three inches in diameter; but these dimensions are susceptible of considerable variation. It' the goal be large enough, each player may leave his counters lying on the sheet or board d until all have played and the game be then scored. This will give a player an opportunity of dislodging the pieces of the player or players who have preceded him, thus reducing their score.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the goal and zones as bounded merely by lines c on the flexible sheet d, and when so made the sheet may be conveniently folded and placed in a box with the other portions of the game apparatus; but as the counters c are apt to rebound and roll after falling it will be found somewhat diicult to lodge them in such goal. Therefore it may be preferable to employ a goal-board like that seen in perspective in Fig. 5, which consists of a stiff board d, having fixed to its surface raised concentrically-arranged rings e,which take the place of the lines e, (seen in Fig. 1,) and form an obstacle to the further movement of the counter c after it shall have fallen; or this form of board may be put in a portable form, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 6, and 6", wherein the rings e2, made from some springy material, as flat steel, are provided at their extremities each with reciprocal fasteuings zl-as a hook and eye, for example-and when bent into a circular or hoop-like form they are set on a table j and arranged concentrically, as seen in Fig. 6. In this case the rings merely rest ou the table and are not secured in place. To pack it away,l the ends of the ring e2 may be disengaged and the ring be either put up in a straight form or coiled up like a watch-spring. Fig. 6"L shows one of these rings detached, and Fig. 61 shows two forms of fastening 1'. The upper detail in this figure shows the well-known stud and key-hole used in corsetclasps, and the lower detail represents a hook on one end of the ring engaging an eye in the other. Y Y

Fig. 7 shows another form of goal-board having nine pockets, the central pocket being the goal. This goal-board may be placed flat on a table, as represented, or it may be set up on edge and the counters snapped through the openings.

The object in employing small shiftable pads, one for each of the individual players, is partly to enable the game to be played on any table or convenient surface. AIn other known games employing snappers and pieces, a table is employed,having afelt cover fitted to it; but such a table and cover are not always at hand. The small individual pads enable the apparatus to be packed in a small compass and only a surface to play on-as a common parlor or dining table, for exampleis required to complete the equipment, as the pad furnishes the player with the required elastic and yielding bed for the piece. The object of the pads is also to provide a better bed for the piece than an ordinary table-cover, and to insure uniformity, as all the pads used will be alike.

l do not broadly claim an elastic bed for the piece played, nor do I claim, broadly, a goal with counting-spaces about it. Both of these features are old in games.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-n 1. A game apparatus comprising small, shiftable, and individual pads of elastic springy material, one for each player, a snapper b for each player, counters c,-and a goal, substantially as set forth.

2.*A game apparatus comprising a small, individual, and shiftable pad of elastic material for each player, a snapper b for each player, counters c and a board having a central goal g, and counting spaces or zones around said goal, substantially as set forth.

A game apparatus comprising a pad of elastic material for the players, a snapper b, counters c, and a board having a central goal and zones arranged around said goal, said goal and zones being formed by rings which rise above the surface on which they rest, substantially as set forth.

4. A game apparatus having a snapper b,

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counters or pieces cto be snapped, and a goal- 5. A game apparatus comprising a snap- In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed per b, counters c, a goal-board, and small, inmy name in the presence of two subscribing dividual, and shiftable elastic pads a, one for witnesses.

each player, said pads being each composed CHARLES N.'1'IOYT. 5 of two or more thicknesses of soft springy Witnesses:

fabric secured together at their edges, sub- HENRY CONNETT,

stantialiy as set forth. J. D. CAPLINGER. 

